Electric call



(No Model.)

LLLGTLLG GALL.

J. B. GURRIE'R 8v D. H. RICE.

. No. 276,960. Patented Ma.y1,18s. f

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Q PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB B. CURRIER AND DAVID HALL RICE, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC CALL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,960, dated May 1,1883.

` Application inea March 1o, lesa. (No model.)

` lowing is a specification.

Our invention relates to individual electric 4 calls of the generalcharacter ot' those shown in the German patent to Maron, No. 1,944E of1877, and in the patent to said` Currier and Rice, No. 240,010, datedApril `12, 1881; and it consists in placing a series of ordinaryelectric call-bells at ditterent stations on the electric circuit, andplacing in a shunt around each of said bells an electric make-and-breakdevice controlled by a vibrating armature working isochrononsly with anelectric make-andbreak mechanism at a distant station, by whichmake-and-brealr `mechanism said vibrating armature is operated by meansof a magnet placed in the maincircuit inV proper position with relationto it 5 and it further consists in arranging a shunt around an electricbell placed in the main circuit, which is normally closed, and inbreaking the said shunt by the operation of an isochronously-vibratin garmature vibrating in unison with a pulsatory or intermittent electriccurrent passing over the circuit and through themagnet ofsaid armature;audit further consists in an improved form of shunt-circuit around themagnet of the circuit-breaker. l i

In the drawing, the figure represents an electric circuit provided withabattery and calling` mechanism for the central station and alarm andshunt mechanisms for the subscribers stations.

S represents the central station, and S2 and S3 the subscribersstations, upon the electric circuit A A.

B is the battery.

G G are grounds ot' the circuit.

C is the calling device, cfa Well-kn0wn construction, having vibratingcircuit-breakers c c for breaking the electric circuit and producing avibratory current of electricty to ring the individual alarm at therespective stations S2 S3. c is a shunt-circuit to be closed by the keyc2, in order to send an impulse of electricity to linethrough the magnetof the circnitfbreaker directly, withoutvpassingthrough the latter to dor d2 either may be `electrically'connected at pleasure withoutdisturbing the other.

A At the station S2, E is the bell, which consists of a springhammer,itsmagnetin circuit, and the gong e2, so placed that any electrical impulseover the circuit ot'average power will strike the gong.

a! is a shunt leading aroundthe bell at station S2, and composed of thewire-a3, springs a4 a?, and metal block c2. The springs c4 c4 aresecured in the posts 0L5 a5 at one end, the Whole being placed upon abacking-of insulating material, so as to compel the electricity to passover the circuit or shunt, as described. In their normal position thesprings t4 o4 are in electrical contact with the metal block a2,

and the electric current will pass` over the shunt composedV of a3, a5,c, a2, a4, and 01,5, as

being a line of less resistance than the main circuit through thebell-magnet.

M is a magnet placed in the main circuit-just below the shunt. l y m isan armature pivoted atmz2 andA moved by electric impulses through themagnet M, similar fo a pendulum. This armature may be hung upon a springinstead ot' a pivot, if desired. This armature carries attached to itthe curved bar m3, the projecting ends ot' which come underneath thesprings ci* a4 at such a distance that no movement ot' the armature,resulting from the passage of a vibratory current of electricity throughthe magnet M, which isnot synchronous, or nearly so, With the vibrationsof m', will cause these ends oit' 'm3 to reach the springs a u, dueregard being ot' course had to the adjustment of the distance betweenthe poles ot' its magnet and armature m; but when a vibratory current ofelectricity is passed through the magnet M synchronous with thevibration of the armature m its extent of movement will be augmenteduntil the points of the arm m3 alternately reach and strike the springsc4 a4 at each end of the beat ofthe armature, and, breaking the electricoircuit through the shunt, force the electric current to pass throughthe alarm-magnet of station S2 and cause the alarm to be struck. Thepivot m2, upon which the armature m' and curved bar m3 oscillate, isinsulated from its point of support to insure the break of theshunt-circuit.

At station S3 is placed an alarm, with its magnet and shunt inA allrespects similar to that at station S2, and provided in like manner witha magnet M, its vibrating armature m' and attached bar m3 vibrating uponthe insulated pivot m2, the only difference being that the weight ofthearmature m', orits dis tance from the pivot m2, or both, so vary fromthose of the station S2 that a vibratory electric current synchronouswith the vibrations of the one armature will not cause the other toreach and break its bell-shunt.

The circuit-breakers of the caller U are each tuned to break the circuitsynchronously with one of the shunt-breaking armatures at one stationonly, and thus the bell of only that one station, or its alarm only,will be sounded without soundingv any ofthe others. The magnets M arepreferably made of much less resistance than the alarm-magnets to insurethe larger part of the electric current passing over the shunt and notsounding an alarm until its shunt is broken:

The starting mechanism for the circuitbreaker of the calleris operatedas follows: The circuit-breaker contact-screws c6 c6 are placed so as tonot quite touch the contact-springs c7 c7. By inserting the plug in theswitch, between d and d',for instance, that ciicutbreak er is connectedto the circuit; but owing to the space between c6 c' the circuit-breakerdoes not start. By pressing down the key c2 the line c' is completed andthe current passes through A, c', c, the vibrator magnet, and c5 tocircuit A', and pulls the circuit-breaker armature c toward its magnet.Upon releasing the key c2 the armature c files back and its spring c7makes contact with screw cG,and the armature continues to vibrate andmake and break the circuit until the switch-plug connecting d and d' isremoved. This of course breaks the shunt at the distant station ofthecorrespondingly-timed vibrator and sounds its alarm.

It is obvious that other modifications may be adopted without departingfrom the spirit of our invention. For instance, the armature m' may bemade to strike and break the shunt directly,instead of through themedium ofthe curved bar m3; or the armature m' may bemade to operatesome other device for breaking the circuit besides the arm m3; or thesprings a4 a.'i may come directlyl into contactinstead of resting uponthe block a2; but the essential features of our invention are an alarmmechanism constantly in circuit, and an electric shunt around said alarmmechanism capable of being broken, and a vibratingshunt-breakingarmature operated by a vibratory current of electricitypassing throughits magnetin circuit synchronous with its rate ofvibration; and, further, the placing of two such mechanisms at differentstations, each adapted to vibrate and break its shunt in substantially adifferent time from that ofthe other.

Instead of a circuit-breaking mechanism, a device which sends regularundulatory currents over the circuit of sufficient variation andregularity in the undulations maybe usedas,for instance, an electricgenerator driven by regulating mechanism at a proper and regular speed,which will produce undulations synchronous with the movement of theshuntbreaking armature.

What we claim as new and of ourinvention 1. In combination with theelectric circuit lA A', a circuit-breaker, an alarm mechanism -in thecircuit, and a shunt around said alarm ,mechanisnn with the magnet Mand'lts vibrating armature m', adapted to make and break said shunt bysynchronous pulsations of electricity, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the electric circuit A A', two or more alarmmechanisms placed at dii'erent stations on the circuit, each providedwith ash unt around it, and with the magnet M and its vibrating armaturem', adapted to make and break said shunt, and having asubstantially-different rate of vibration fromv that of thecorresponding armature of the other stat-ions, substantially asdescribed.

3. In combination with the electric circuit A A', two circuit-breakersplaced at one station, and two alarm mechanisms lplaced at differentstations on the circuit, each provided with a shunt around it, and withthe magnet M and its vibrating armature m', adapted to make and breaksaid shunt, and having a substantially-different rate of vibration fromthat ofthe otherstations, substantially as described.

4. In combination with the electric circuit A A', an alarm mechanism, anelectric shunt around the same, the magnet M, and its vibrating armaturem', adapted to alternately make andv break said shunt, substantially asdescribed.

5. In combination with the electric circuit A A', the shunt c', havingkey c2, and leading from the battery around the circuit-breaker, and tothe magnet on the battery side ot' the same in the caller C,substantiallyas described.

JACOB B. CURRIER. DAVID HALL RICE. Witnesses:

CEAS. F. Hows, WM. B. SPALDlNG.

ICO

IIO

